Machine for filling bottles.



B. GALLAGHER. MACHINE FOR FILLING BOTTLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1908.

922,571 Patented May 25, 1909.

tleto permit the air to escape.

BERNARD GALLAGHER, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR FILLING BOTTLES.

Specification of Letters Iatent. Application filed August 8, 1908. Serial No. 447,543.

PatentedMay 25, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNARD GALLAGHER, citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Filling Bottles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This-invention relates to machines for filling bottles and more particularly to machines for filling bottles with what are known to the trade as soft drinks. In this class of machines it is customary to provide means for supplying the syru to one bottle at the same time that the car onated water is being supplied to another bottle which has been previously provided with syrup. A carbonated water supplying head, arranged to form an air tight joint, is forced down on the bottle having syrup in it and the carbonated water; is then introduced. In the machines heretofore in use, the presence of air in the bottle compels the operator to at times open the air tight joint between the head and bot- This operation is known as *snifting and, of course, permits a considerable waste of liquid whichpasses out with the air and overflows onto the machine.

The principal object of this invention is to provide means for reducing the pressure of the air in the bottle about to be supplied with liquid so that it may be readily filled Without resorting to the operation of sniftirig above referred to.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for automatically forming an air tight joint between the liquid supplying-head and the'bottle, prior to filling the bottle with liquid, for instance carbonated water, from the head.

To the accomphshment of these objects and such others as may hereinafter appear,

as Will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, the invention comprises the features and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a central section of the machine in side elevation, Fig. 2 is afront elevation on the upper part of the machine; and Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are details of the valve controlling mechanism to be referred to.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, a frame work 1 is provided having a vertical bore 2 in which operates a plunger 3 on which is mounted a casing 4 comprising a syrup head 8 and a carbonated water head 0. ed at its u per end to the lower end of the plunger and at its lower end to a lever 6 pivoted at 7 in the frame Work 1 and provlded with a foot treadle 8. through a collar 9 fixed in position by'means of screws 10 passing through the frame work 1 and into the collar. A coil s ring 11 surrounds the link 5 below the co ar 9 and is connected at one end to the collar and at its other end to the treadle lever 6. The arrangement is such that the treadle8 is normally maintained at the upper end of its stroke, thereby holding the casing 4 normally in its raised position. I

The frame work 1 is provided with a threaded portion '12 which receives a large nut 13 on which rests a sleeve 14 provided with a bottle supporting bracket 15 extending toward the front of the machine and beneath the casing 4. The bracket 15 is provided with a depending arm 16 having on each side a lug 17 provided with an opening for the reception of a cooperating lug on a bottle box. A box filled with empty bottles is supported on one of the lugs 17 and an empty box on the other, so that duringthe operation of the machine 'the bottles are taken from the box at one side, placed in the machine, filled and then placed in the empty box at the other side. The purpose of the nut 13 is to adjust the bottle support 15 toward and from the casing 4 to accommodate bottles of different heights to the action ofthe syrup and carbonated water heads.

The casing 4 is provided with the usual syrupvalve and carbonated water valve only the stems, 18 and 19, respectively, of whi'eh are shown in the drawings (Fig. 2). It is also provided with the usual syrup gage A link 5 is pivotally connect- The link 5 passes counterbore in which is mounted a smaller spring pressed. plunger 23, against which a bottle cap 24 isseated prior to the operation of filling the bottle with liquid. This mechanism operates in the ,usual manner.

A supply pipe 25 leads to the syrup valve and a supply pipe 26 leads, to the carbonated water valve. Suitable ports within the casing 4 lead from the syrup valv'eto the syrup gage and to a discharge pipe 27 leading from the syrup supplying head -s, to which is attached a spring pressed bell mouth 28 adapted to fit over the mouth of the bottle. Suitable ports also lead from the carbonated water valve to the lower portion of the carbonated water supplying head 0, their outlet being indicated at 29 in Fig. 1.

The casing 4is provided just below the outlet port 29 with a gasket 30 of compressible material, such as rubber, the opening in the gasket being normally of, larger diameter than the neck of the bottle at its top, thus 1 permitting the introduction of thebottle cap to its position against the plunger 23. A sliding -sleeve 31 is mounted on the lower end of the liquid supplying head and is provided with an inturned flange 32 which extends beneath the gasket. A bell crank lever 33 pivoted at 34' is provided with a yoked arm 35 connected to the sliding sleeve 31 and with a roll 36 adapted to bear on a cam surface 37 formed on the frame work '1 of the machine. The cam surface 37 is so designed that when the treadle 8 is depressed to lower the casing 4 toward the bottle, the bell crank 33 will be moved in a direction to .force the sleeve 31 upwardly against the gasket compressing it and reducin the size of its opening so that when it is brought into contact with the neck of the bottle, an air tight joint will be formed. Means is thus provided for automatically forming an'air tight joint berween the carbonated water supplying head and bottle prior to supplying the Water thereto.

A controlling device for governing the supply of syrup and carbonated water comprises a cam lever 39 (Fig. 3) pivotally mounted between the upwardly yielding valve stems .18 and 19 and provided with an enlarged head 40 adapted to cooperate with said stems on the movement of the lever. This cooperation is effected by providing the 2 head 40 with a beveled surface 41 in front of the stem 18 and a similar beveled surface 42 at the rear of the stem 19, so that when the lever is moved to the right (Fig. 3) the beveled surfaces4] and 42 will be moved beneath the valve stems, thus forcing them upwardly and opening the valves. The angular positions of the beveled surfaces are preferably such that 'both the valves are opened simultaneously. A stop 43, provided on the head 40, is arranged to engage one side of the liquidsupplying head 4 and properly limit the angular movement of the lever 39.

When the operator first starts to fill both tles, but one bottle is placed in the machine, syrup is supplied to that bottle, it is then moved under the carbonated water port 29, and another bottle is placed beneath the syrup outlet bell 28, syrup is then supplied to one bottle and carbonated water to the other bottle simultaneously by a movement of the controlling lever 39 in the proper. direction. In order to permit the operator to supply syrup alone,by means of the same controlling lever 39, the head 40 of said lever is provided with a third beveled surface 44 at the rear of the syrup valve stem 18. .With this arrangement when the lever is moved to the left (Fig. 3), the beveled surface 44 will be moved beneath the syrup supply valve stem 18 and will open that valve to supply syrup, but the other beveled sur- "aces, on a movement of the lever to the left, are carried away from the two valve stem and are at this time ino erative. j

The casing 4 is proviied with an arm 45 to which is secured the upper end of a piston 9 rod 46 provided with a p1ston 47 which operates in a vacuum chamber formed by a casing 48 mounted on the framework 1. The piston 47 is provided with exhaust ports and outwardly opening flap valves 49 at its upper surface. A pipe 50 extends from an outlet at the lower endof the vacuum chamher to the carbonated water supplying head 4 and is provided at said head with a valve 51. This is a straightway valve of the rotary type having two perpendicularly 'arranged diametrical ports 51*(see Fig. 5). The stem 52 of the valve 51 extends upwardly through a guiding bracket on the head 4. A crank arm 53 is rotatably mount-. ed .on the stem 52 at its upper end. This crank arm acts as a awl carrier for a spring pressed pawl 53 a a ted to engage a four toothed ratchet wheel 53 keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the valve stem (see Fig. 4). The free end of the pawl carrier is connected to the head 40 of the controlling lever 39 by means of a link 54. With this construction, when the lever 39 is in its central position the valve 51 is closed, the ports of the valve 51 are in substantially the angular position shown in Fig. 5 and the pawl is in engagement with one of the teeth of the ratchet. When the lever 39 is moved to the left, to supply syrup alone, the pawl is merely moved backward slightly and the position of the valve ports is unchanged. When, however, the lever 39 is moved to the right, to supply both syrup and carbonated quarter turn in a direction to move the ratchet with it; This movement carries the ends of one of the ports 51 past the outlet and inlet ports of the valve casing. The proportions and arrangement of the parts is such that the valve 51 is both opened and closed prior to the opening of the valve governing the supply of carbonated water.

In operating the machine, and assuming that there are two bottles on the bottle support 15, one empty and one containing syrup, the operator first depresses the treadle 8 a sufficient distance to bring the liquid sup plying head 4 into contact with the two bottles, the bell 28 engaging the top of the empty bottle and the gasket 30 engaging the top of thebottle having syrup therein and automatically forming an air tight joint therewith. At this time there is a vacuum in the vacuum chamber, and while the piston 47 has descended somewhat with the downward movement of the liquid supplying head 4, this is immaterial as the remaining ortion of the chamber is large enough for t e purposes of the machine. The operator then moves the controlling lever 39 to the right, and during the first portion of this movement the straightway valve 51 is opened and closed, permitting the air from the bottle to be exhausted into the vacuum chamber.

This equalizes the pressure of the air in the which pressure is, of course, much less than that of the atmosphere. The valves operated by the stems l8 and 19 are opened by the latter portion of the movement of the lever 39 to simultaneously supply syrup from the syrup gage to one bottle and carbonated water to the other. When the bottle has been filled with carbonated waterto the desiredv height, the valve for supplying said water is shut off by a movement of the lever 39 back tocentral position. This backward movement of the controlling lever carries the pawl carrier backwardly with it and posi: tions the pawl in operative position behind the next tooth preparatory to the next bottle-filling operation; It will be noted that the ports of the valve 51 remain in the angular position assumed on the forward movement of the controlling lever. A further pressure is then applied to the treadle 8 to bring the head 0 down to perform the bottle capping operation in the usual manner. This further downward movement of the head 0 carries the piston 47 to the bottom of the vacuum chamber and the air, which has previously been exhausted from the bottle and drawn into the vacuum chamber, is forced out through the flap valves 49. After the bottle has been capped, the'treadle 8 is released and the spring 11 moves the head 0 again upwardly, which movement draws the piston 47 again u wardly, and, as the valve 51 at this time is c osed, this movement creates a vacuum in the vacuum chamber to be used in connection with the next bottle filling operation.

A very distinct advantage gained by an exhaustion of air from the'bottles and consequent reduction of pressure prior to filling them resides in the fact that the purity of the drink in the bottles is greatly enhanced. I

Ordinarily bottle filling machines are operated in rooms where the air is impure, very frequently in basements which are impossible to properly ventilate. The empty bottles are, of'course, filled with this impure air and the syrup and carbonated water, when introduced, become mixed therewith and therefore contaminated. An exhaustion of a large percentage of the impure air from the bottles greatly decreases the harmful results arising from this very serious disadvantage.

While the particulars of the construction herein set forth are well suited to one form of the invention, it is not to be understood that these particulars are essential since they may be variously modified within the skill of the artisan without departing from the true scope of theactual invention as defined by the following claims.

Nhat is claimed as new, is

1. A bottle filling machine having, in combination, means for supplying liquid to the bottle and means for exhausting air from the bottle, a valve governing the liquid supply, a valve governing the exhaustion of air, and a single reciprocatory controlling mechanism for operating both of said valves, said con trolling mechanism being constructed and arranged to both open and close the air exhaust valve prior to opening the liquid sup ply valve on one stroke, and move idly relatively to the air exhaust valve on its other stroke.

2. A bottle filling machine having, in combination, a bottle support, a liquid supplying head movable toward and from the bottle and constructed to form an air tight connection therewith, a vacuum chamber, a conduit between said head and chamber mean's for o ening and closing communication between t e vacuum chamber and bottle to reduce the pressure of the air in the bottle, and a valved piston in said chamber controlled by the movement of said head, whereby an upward movement of the head creates a vacuum in the chamber and a downward move ment removes therefrom the air exhausted thereinto from the bottle.

3. A bottle filling machine having, in combination, a reciprocatory liquid supplying head, means for torming an air tight joint at the bottle neck between said head and bottle, a vacuum chamber, a conduit from said head to the vacuum chamber, a valve in said conduit, means for opening and closing said valve to exhaust air from the bottle to the vacuum chamber, and means operated by the movement of the head for thereafter re- I mdving the air from the vacuum chamber.

4. A bottle filling machine having, in combination, a liquid supplying head, means for forming an air tight joint at the bottle neck between said head and bottle, a vacuum A chamber, a piston in said chamber having outwardly opening valves, a conduit from said head to the vacuum chamber, means for opening and closing communication between sald conduit and vacuum chamber to ex-.

. plying head relative y movable to make contact forthe filling operation, a vacuum chamber, means for openlng communication between the bottle and chamber to reduce the pressure of, the air in the bottle, means to impart a further relative movement to said head and bottle to perform the capping operation, and means controlled by such further relative movement for exhausting the air delivered to the vacuum chamber from the bottle.

6. A bottle filling machine, having, in combination, a bottle su port, and a liquid sup; plying head relatively movable toward and from each other and constructed to form an air-tight connection between the head and bottle, a vacuum chamber, a conduit leading from the bottle mouth to said chamber, means for opening communication between the vacuum chamber and bottle to reduce the pressure of air in the bottle, and means operatively connected to said vacuum chamber constructed and arranged to create a vacuum therein on the separating movement of the head and bottle.

' 7. A bottle filling machine having, in combination, a bottle support and a liquid supplying head above said support', one of which parts is movable toward the other, and said ead being provided with a gasket of compressible material at its lower end having an opening normally of greater diameter than the diameter of the neck of the bottleat itstop, a plate extending beneath the gasket, a

stationary cam, and means carried by said movable part and engaging both the plate and cam connected and arrangedto exert pressure .on said plate as the gasket and bottle approach each other to reduce the opening an the gasket thereby insuring an airy tight contact with the bottle neck.

8; A bottle filling machine having, in combination, a bottle support, a syrup supplying head and a water supplying head, separate valves governing the supply from each head, separate delivery conduits from each head, and a controller for said valves constructed and arranged to sup ly syrup alone on movement of the controller in one direction and to supply both syrup and water on its movement in an op osite direction.

9. A bottle filling machine, having, in combination, a liquid supplying head and a bottle support, means to impart a relative movement to said arts to engage and disengage the bottle in t e filling operation, means for supplying liquid to the bottle, a vacuum apparatus for reducin the pressure of the air in the bottle before t e entrance of the liquid, and means controlledby said relative movement for creating a vacuum in the vacuum apparatus prior to each bottle filling operation.

10. A bottle filling machine, having, in combination, a bottle support, a liquid supplying head above said support provided with a gasket of compressible material at its lower end. havin an opening normally of greater diameter than the neck of the bottle at its\top, means for moving said gasket downward intocontact with the bottle, a plate beneath the gasket slidably mounted on the head, a stationary cam, a bell crank lever fulcrumed on the head having one arm connected to said plate and its other arm adapted to engage said cam on the downward movement of said head, whereby the plate is moved in a direction to compress the gasket and reduce the size of its opening.

' In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

BERNARD GALLAGHER. Witnesses:

WARREN G. OGDEN, ANNIE C. RIcHARDsoN.

Corrections in hetters Patent No. 922,571.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 922,571, granted May 25, 1909, upon the application of Bernard Gallagher, of Lynn, Massachusetts, for an improvement in fMachines for Filling Bottles, err0rs appear in the printed specification requiring correction, as follows: In lines 72-73, page the word both tles should i that the said Letters Patent should be read with there corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oifice- Signed and sealed this 15th day of June, A. 1)., 1909.

[SEAL] G. O. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

read botflex, and in line 54, page 4, the word connected should read constructed; and V 

